QUESTION: Why must Mary intercede? And what if she doesn’t want to? Does that mean your prayers are not heard by Jesus? I guess this question goes for praying to all the Saints.
Why? How can she not? If you are watching a football game and the receiver gets the ball, are you not rooting him on to victory? The crowd becomes like one unified whole— shouting, singing, doing the wave, etc. This analogy offers but a pale point of reference to the role of Mary and the saints. We are all in this together— the journey from mortal to eternal life. The very definition of a saint makes what the division you suggest impossible. The sanctity of heaven implies the utter transformation of one into a new Christ— of one mind and will with our Lord. What he wants, they want. A little girl in church was asked one time for the definition of a saint. She looked at the figures in the stained-glass windows and replied, “Saints are those who allow the light to shine through.” Quite right! And the Light of the World is Christ, dispelling the darkness of ignorance, sin, and death. This process of conversion begins in this life; we can and should be perfected in holiness by the grace of God. We can be ever remade into Christ’s image. Heaven simply brings this development to its full conclusion. People who knew Mother Teresa said that to be near her was almost like being in the presence of Jesus— so fully did she manifest the living Christ in her faith and life. We can also become saints if we allow God to so work in our lives. We need to seek a restoration of all things in Christ, including ourselves. The question about division between the saints and Jesus says less about the heavenly hosts than about ourselves— our own brokenness and bondage to sin— our own refusal to fully embrace the Gospel of Life. Sometimes selfishness and hatred invade our prayers; such is never the case for Mary and the Saints. They are immaculate windows to the divine. Further, they are a part of us. The Church in Glory is inextricably united to the earthly Church in Glory and the Church in Purgation. The Mystical Body (Eph. 1:23; 1 Cor. 12:27) remains intact. The saints intercede for us precisely as perfectly conformed elements in this wondrous union. Death is not the end of love. This is at the heart of Christ’s resurrection— his Father’s Love (the Holy Spirit no less) restored him back to life. The family of God in heaven has not forgotten those of us still facing the trial. Love compels them to remember us and to pray for us.
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Blogger Priest 
I wanted to know what will happen if I die? My body will be decomposed. What about my soul? What will happen to my soul? Please explain.
Fr Joe if you say that Mother Mary intercedes for us to Lord Jesus, I want to believe that… But before that I would like you to clear my doubt. In John chapter 2 verse 1 – 6 when mother said to Jesus about they have no more wine, why Jesus said, “Dear woman why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” As per Catholic dogma Mother Mary intercede for us and Jesus hears her prayers.. If so, then why did Jesus not hear her request about the wine in the wedding? Jesus did a miracle only at his appointed time by God and He did not listen to Mary’s request. He could have done that and helped us to believe that Jesus hears our prayers when Mary intercedes for us.
In Matthew chapter 1:25 It says “But he (Joseph) had no union with her (Mary) until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
The word “until” suggests that mother Mary was a virgin till Lord Jesus was born not after that, Right?
Fr Joe.. Why there is an Assumption of Mary take into heaven? Why there is no solid evidence in the Bible about the same? Are we not suppose to believe in the Word of God as in Bible, rather than any assumptions made years ago by Pope?
There are absolutely no scriptures that back up what you say, and if there are I’ll eat my shoes.
Nice human analogy Fr Joe, but let us visit the Bible.
First, if Mary and the so called ‘saints’ were alive, you could ask them to pray for you just as any Christian could pray for another, but they are so dead and by asking them to pray for you, you are more dead than they are.
Second, we have only two intercessors before GOD OUR FATHER: Jesus who in Romans 8:34 is said to be at the rigth hand of God making intercession. Also in verse 26, the Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us……
Remember the rich man in hell asked Abraham to help in anyway but he replied him that it was impossible. Be guided that the devil is very crafty.
What I read according to the Bible is that Mary is not a deity although we cannot dismiss the fact that she is highly favored by God. Her intercession to Jesus was made when she was still alive.
And it is very clear that Mary is now dead and she can no longer hear our prayers for the simple fact that she is not deity. Only living saints, priests, the faithful, elders and those who walk with God can ask for intercession.
I would like to search in the Bible where it says that Jesus feels honored when we honor Mary?
There is only one mediator between men and God and that is Jesus Christ.
It is easy when Jesus was on earth, to whom did he pray? God the Father, indeed it was the same way he taught his disciples how to pray.
Mary was indeed a favored woman in the eyes of God but by no means was she sin free. Read Luke 1:46 when she gives thanks to God her savior, meaning there was sin in her.
The word of God cannot be compromised, there’s only ONE holy one and one mediator.
God alone is self-sustaining, omnipresent and omniscient and does not need anybody else to help Him with the load of prayers.
To Jesus Christ alone may be all the glory and honor forever!
I’m done with you. I can’t see how people would even try to argue with you when you can’t see the other side’s perspective and then be a hypocrite about it. Good riddance.
You’ve got to be the biggest hypocrite ever. Like you’re any better than me. You’re pretty pathetic. And you clearly can’t see things from other perspectives and make stupid assumptions. And I learned that the catholic church is the saddest form of christianity ever, to answer your question. The rest you figure since you seem to imply yourself as a know it all. Adios.
Whatever… you aren’t even open-minded. Nor are you capable of getting other people’s points and offering a good rebuttal. Man, dude, I checked out one other argument that you had with another guy and man you suck at rebuttal! Just give a straightforward answer i.e. yes or no and support your claim. Hypocrites are men who judge like you. I didn’t know it was okay for you to call me a bigot. To most that would be judging. And how about this, answer this question straightforward… if you can:
Why do you pray to someone who is barely mentioned in the bible? Why pray to someone who was actually a sinner? How is Mary immaculate? Doesn’t the bible say that nobody was perfect except Jesus?
And by men like you I mean hypocritical Christians, like you. But anyways, please answer my questions with simple answers and not long drawn out paragraphs. Oh and give me either a yes or no on the last one.
Well I’ll tell you this much you’re pretty stupid.
I wasn’t trying to feed my ego for one, due to the fact I REALLY DON’T CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.
Two, you are a hypocrite big time for judging me.
Three, I’m surprised you actually gave a rebuttal.
Four you’re the idiot.
Five, you suck at ascertaining points apparently.
And by the way…I’ve learned about the Immaculate Conception…it’s still pretty pointless and not concrete enough for me.
But you decide that for yourself. I did for myself already, obviously. Goodbye.
There’s no evidence or facts that we should we pray to Mary. Not a word in the Bible. It’s a human made up story. She was his mother. How can the Creator who made all things including have a mother? Think!
Ask yourself this: Do I sin when I don’t pray to Mary?
Do I miss my blessings when I don’t pray to Mary?
Will I not enter heaven when I don’t pray to Mary?
Will God respond more slowly to me if I don’t pray to Mary?
If the all your answers are NO, which they are, they you know that this whole Mary things is a created image. Don’t waste your time. It is illegal to pray, worship or venerate other than our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s not rocket science— I’m saying you guys are praying to others when you aren’t supposed to so. And, I was told that “praying to others” was just simply putting in a word for me.
You might not want anyone to pray for you but it is grievously wrong for you to tell Catholics that they can neither pray for each other nor ask for prayer. Prayers that address the saints are all intercessory in nature. We ask the heavenly saints to pray FOR and WITH us. All prayer has as its proper object, Almighty God. There are many forms of prayer: as with Adoration, Thanksgiving, Supplication, and Contrition.
For one, I can pray to Jesus.
Two, I don’t have to OR NEED TO PRAY to others.
Third, I believe that if you’re bowing down your head with your hands closed (typical stance for prayer) and you are talking to someone else WHO ISN’T GOD, then you’re PRAYING TO THEM WHICH ISN’T WHAT GOD SAID TO DO.
If you’re praying to someone else, as far as I’m concerned, THEN YOU ARE WORSHIPPING THEM, therefore violating the first commandment.
Dude, really?
You guys call it intercession yet you’re praying to Mary and all those other great guys for intercession.
Seriously one minute it’s intercession but then I hear from my youth group leader, who is a Catholic and I also no longer desire to be Catholic, my mom is forcing me to go to the Catholic church, “Let’s PRAY a Hail Mary.”
Ummm… what the heck?
And God doesn’t play favorites.
He loves us all EQUALLY.
I’m a struggler with sin and even I know this better than you.
Well we obviously don’t need, and shouldn’t address anybody/anything except God. I would just love to see Jesus’ face seeing what happen to his little bunch after he died, would be hilarious.
Even funnier to see him reading NT, like Acts where his homies are battling what should they do about external stuff like baptism when he earlier explicitly said it’s not important 😀
Man, I don’t hate catholics, or other christians on that matter, but when sect claims it got “fullness of teachings” while not even apostles had it (as Jesus said over and over)… sorry, it just looks silly. Not to Jesus stuff about not having masters, or worshipping God in heart and truth, not temples which he can destroy and rebuild in 3 days, so unimportant it was. But nah, LET’S BUILD SOME GOLD PALACE IN VATICAN 😀 The idea of “holy” paintings is beyond me, according to catechism and your faulty idea every picture should be equally holy, if not – some of them have more “power”, which makes them idols in themselves, not to mention those guys standing behind.